Electric cooking range



Jung 9, 1936- L. w. BENTLEY 2,043,879

ELECTRIC COOKING RANGE Filed NOV. 5, 1954 flh s Gamma/ s Patented June 9, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in electric cooking ranges.

Primarily, the object 01' the present invention is to provide electrical connections whereby the current supplied to one or the heating units can be readily varied to reduce the heating eil'ect in the unit, as is desirable when only a low temperature or simmering heat is desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide electrical connections for such a heating unit wherein a switch may be actuated to supply any predetermined quantity of current to the heating unit and, after such switch has been closed, a second switch can be manipulated to reduce the heating efiect of the current. In this connection, the invention contemplates an arrangement whereby the second switch will be locked in position to maintain the simmering heat until the first switch is opened, whereupon the second switch will be automatically released and opened, and restored to a position where the circuit between the first switch and the heating unit may be closed by simply closing the first switch.

More specifically, the invention comprises a heating unit and a main switch with electrical connections between said switch and unit, including a two-positional switch and a supplemental circuit which includes means for reducing the heating effect of the current supplied to the unit. When the two-positional switch is in one position the circuit is closed directly between the switch and unit, but when moved to second position, the supplemental circuit is included to reduce the heating efiect oi the current. This 35 two-positional switch is locked in its so-called second position by a latch which is held in switchlocking position by an electromagnet in the supplemental circuit, so that, when the main switch is opened the magnet will be de-energized, whereupon a spring will move the latch to unlock the switch and the switch will be returned by a spring to its first position, wherein the direct circuit is closed, except for the closing of the main switch.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts all of which will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention,-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a twopositional switch with the locking mechanism associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 33 of F18. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken at 5 right angles to Fig. 2, showing the pivotal mounting of the switch locking lever;

Fig. 5 is a. diagrammatic illustration of the electrical connections between the main switch and heating unit.

What, for convenience, has been termed the main switch is indicated by reference numeral Ill in Fig. 5. As illustrated, it may comprise mechanism for varying the quantity of current passing therethrough, whereby low or high temis peratures may be generated in the heating unit. These mechanisms comprise no part of the present invention and are, therefore, not illustrated, nor need they be described. Extending from switch I0 are lines II, I2, connected to contacts 20 I3, I 4, of the two-positional switch which comprises pivoted blades 33, 34, 35 and 35, secured to a cross bar 31 on which is mounted a handle 38 to facilitate throwing the blades on their pivotal centers. Blades 33, 34, are connected with 26 the contacts I3, I4, and blades 35, 36, are connected to contacts I5, I5, of the two-positional switch, which, in turn, are connected by wires IIa, l2a, to the heating unit 40. The two-positional switch also comprises contacts 23, 25, con- 30 nected by line Ilb, and contacts 24, 26, connected by line I 2b. Said switch also comprises another series of contacts 43, l4, l5 and 45. From contacts 43, 44, there are lines 43a, a, connected to one side of the transformer T, and extending from the other side of said transformer there are lines 45a, 45a, which are connected to the contacts 45, 46, of the two-positional switch.

Normally, the blades of the two-postional switch are held in engagement with contacts 23, 24, 25, 26, by a spring 50 secured to one wall of the switch frame and the cross bar 31. With the blades in engagement with those contacts, it is only necessary to close switch I0, whereupon switch ID will be connected directly to the heating unit through the following: Line II to contact I3, switch blade 33, contact 23, line IIb, contact 25, switch blade 35, contact I5, line Ila, and through line I 2, contact I4. blade 34, contact 25, line I2b, contact 26, blade 38, contact I5 and line He. As thus connected, either a low or high temperature can be secured in the heating unit, depending upon the position at which the switch I0 is adjusted. With the circuit just described established, it it is desired to reduce the heat in unit 40 to a simmering heat, it is only necessary to move the switch blades of the twopositional switch from their normal position, just described, to their second position in which they are in engagement with the contacts 43, 44, 45, 46, 01' said switch. Under these conditions the lines llb, l2b, would be cut out and the current would flow from the switch blades 33, 34, to contacts 43, 44, through lines 43a, 44a, to one side of the transformer T, and from the said transformer through lines 45a, 46a, contacts 45, 46, blades 35, 35, and lines Ila, 12a, to the heating unit, the current thus supplied having a greatly reduced heat producing value. Usually a transformer is used which will reduce the voltage from about 25 to 40 per cent.

When the blades are moved to this second position to cut in the supplemental circuit, so to speak, they are adapted to be relcasably locked in such position by means that will release them when the circuit is opened at the main switch I0, and when so released they will be restored to engage the contacts 23, 24, 25, 26, automatically. For these purposes, there is pivoted on the frame 5| of the two-positional switch a locking lever 52 provided with a hook portion 53 adapted to engage the cross bar 31 as illustrated in Fig. 4. This locking lever constitutes the armature of an electromagnet 54 which is included in the sup plemental circuit, as shown in Fig. 5, so that, when the blades are moved to their second position, the magnet will be energized and move lever 52 to engage the hook 53 with the cross bar 31 of the blades. So long as the circuit is closed through switch I 0 the locking lever will be maintained in its locking position, but the moment switch I0 is opened, magnet 54 will be de-energized, so as to be incapable of maintaining lever 52 in its locking position. The lever, thus released by the magnet, is disengaged from the cross bar 37, preferably by a spring 55 attached thereto and to the frame 01' the switch. As soon as the spring 55 disengages the hook 53 from the cross bar 31, spring comes into play and returns the several blades to their original or normal position, in engagement with contacts 23, 24, 25, 26, and, as the result, the direct circuit between the switch I II and heating unit 40 can again be closed simply by properly manipulating the main switch.

If desired, a lamp 56 may be included in the supplemental circuit between wires 43a, 442, as shown in Fig. 5, in order to give a visible indication as to when the supplemental or simmering circuit, as it might be termed, is in use.

The present arrangement greatly simplifies the connections necessary for providing 'a cooking range with heating units that may be readily used either at high temperatures, or a simmering temperature, as desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In an electric cooking range, an electric heating unit, a main switch, means for reducing the heating effect of current supplied said heating unit, a two-positional switch movable to one position to close a circuit direct between said main switch and heating unit and movable to a second position to close a circuit between said main switch and heating unit through said reducing means, means for holding said two-positional switch in its said second position, means operable by the opening or the main switch for releasing the twopositional switch from said second position, and means for automatically restoring the two-positional switch to its flrst-mentioned position.

2. In an electric cooking range, an electric heating unit, a main switch, an electric circuit between said switch and unit including a twopositional switch, means for yieldingly holding said two-positional switch in position to maintain said circuit closed, a supplemental circuit including means for reducing the heating effect of current supplied said unit, said two-positional switch being movable to a second position to open the first-mentioned circuit and close said supplemental circuit, a latch for locking the twopositional switch in said second position, an electromagnet in said supplemental circuit, said latch being held in locking position by said magnet, a spring for moving said latch to unlock the two-postional switch when said magnet is deenergized and a second spring for restoring said two-positional switch to its first position when said magnet is de-energized.

- LIEWEILYN WILLIAM BEN'I'LEY. 

